Chapter 24: The Dark Side Of Tennis Clubs


TL: Akabane


***


It's very frustrating, but my wife in tennis wear is very cute. I think Mashiba in the back is also cute in the eyes of the public, right? I don't think so. My wife came by our table with a smiling face.


"Surprising! You two were friends! Is that a report by any chance? Were you studying together?"


My wife glanced at our report. But she didn't seem too interested. That's a big help, to be honest.


"Oh, yeah. Well, I met Milan recently. Yes, that's right. We were studying together. Haha!"


"Uh-huh! Oh, yeah! Ahaha. We hit it off pretty well! Ahaha!"


Both Milan and I laugh awkwardly. There's definitely a man between them in the vicinity in this situation! Milan and I looked around.


"Ah! Are you two possibly looking for Chusho? Right! Me and Chusho are childhood friends, but that doesn't mean we're always together! I don't like it when people think we're a set! Damn it!"


She's so angry. But Hagiri was always by her side. It's reasonable to assume that he's there today too. But it seems he's really not here now. On the contrary, I'm wondering why he's not here. It's annoying that he's here, but it's also annoying that I'm worried that he's not here.


"I see, Hagiri isn't here. By the way, your clothes are so cute! Did you play tennis?"


Unlike me, Milan seems relieved that Hagiri is not here. With a smiling face, she turned the subject to my wife.


"Oh yes! I'm in Tenniser! I was hitting the ball around like this so much just now! Did you know! When you hit it on the left side, you have to hold it with both hands!"


The wife swings her hands around. To be honest, it's not a tennis swing, it's more like a baseball swing, and it's dumb. But she's beautiful, so she looks regrettably cute. And her short skirt floats softly, revealing the spats she wears underneath. I hate the male instinct that makes me follow them with my eyes even though I know they are spats. The medical students were looking at my wife's ass as well as me. Good thing it was spats, seriously!


"Well, I guess I know at least a two-handed slap. By the way...Igarashi-chan."


"Oh my god! I told you I'm fine with Riri! Also, I'd like to be chan-named by a good-looking guy like Milan! Hahaha!


"Riri-chan. The people in the back are from the same circle as you, right? Aren't you making them wait?"


"Hm? Ah! Yes, they are! That's right! Why don't you two join our tennis club anyway! Everyone is so nice and friendly! So I'm sure even the shy Tokiwa will fit in! Uh-huh."


Wow, the conversation is still jumping around so quickly. I mean, seriously, you're not listening to me, are you? Milan is trying to get her to go back to her original group, but she's not getting the message at all. I bet my wife is the type of girl who would be brazen enough to order a second helping of bubu-zuke in Kyoto! I've never been with her, though! I'm really uncomfortable with all the uncomfortable stares from the people behind me. It's not my fault that my wife is over here. I want the people who are hanging around by my wife's side, looking for a chance, to understand that.


"I mean, I can't join the tennis club you joined, let alone Milan."


I know the tennis this girl joined in her freshman year. The other guy belongs there too. I heard that my wife quit the club right after she broke up with him. And unfortunately I'm not qualified to join there.


"...What? Why not? Why don't you join? Chusho said that all college students play tennis! And there were lots of girls from other universities! Are you scared of them?"


"I'm not scared, I'm telling you the truth. Your Tennis club is a medical school club. That's why I can't join it, because I'm from a different department."


There are many tennissers at the Imperial University. Some are flirtatious, some are like drinking clubs, some are like club activities, and some are just loose, relaxed tennis clubs. At the moment, Ayashiro, Yuzuriha and I are discussing about joining the relaxed type. I'm going to invite Milan too.


"I'm in a different department too, though?"


There is a club in our university's tennis club that many students hate or are jealous of, although it may be an overstatement to say that it is infamous. That is the medical school-led tennisser to which my wife belongs. That's why....


"Girls are fine. But the girls in the Imperial Capital don't join your club, or rather, they almost don't join at all. Your place is composed of only the medical school of the Imperial Capital for the boys and other universities for the girls. I guess according to the rules, you can admit boys who are not from the medical school, but that is not possible. The guys from other faculties don't have high enough status to be with the guys from the medical school. Do you understand? The reason why the girls in the Imperial Capital are as good as you and your best friend in the back is because of your good looks. Hagiri didn't explain it properly, did he? He probably only said something like, "You can play tennis here without any worries." What a fool. Everyone gets along and plays tennis? It's not that kind of circle. It's just a bunch of nonsense."


Tennis club in medical school. Besides that, many club activities and cultural circles also exist independently in medical school. This is because medical school's timetable and enrollment is different from other faculties. In fact, students have to study for much longer hours than other faculties, so it is not possible to have club activities in the same way, but there are still some things that seem strange. Female managers of medical school clubs are all beautiful women from other universities, and if they are not good, there are more of them than male club members. The same is true of the clubs. The men of the world would find it hard to believe. The Faculty of Medicine of the Imperial Capital University is a place where there are only circles full of beautiful women and pretty girls, left, right, front, and rear. The girls are all beautiful and cute girls from other universities. They all want to date and marry the future super elite doctors, the medical students of the Imperial Capital. I can't stand this world! There's nothing but bare egos! What a beast!


"......So...what..."


Finally, even my wife's unobservant, no-nonsense mind seems to have grasped what was going on. She looks a little pale. I am sure that she was told by the other man to join their tennis club so that they can spend as much time together as possible. There is something fluffy and frivolous about my wife. When we first started dating in the previous world, she was somewhat cold and abrasive, but she is fundamentally good-natured and naturally optimistic.


"Hey. I've been asking you for a while now, who are you? Why are you talking like that? Is it that? Do you think you're cool with being cool?"


Mashiba, a self-proclaimed savage girl, came up to my wife's side and started glaring at me. So I got a discouraged look on my face too. Milan, who was sitting next to me, also glared at Mashiba in a somewhat grumpy way. But strangely enough, she stopped glaring immediately and tilted her head while looking at Mashiba's face with rolled eyes. Milan looked at her suspiciously. I was curious, but right now Mashiba in front of me was more annoying. I say in the coldest voice I can muster.


"What? I was just explaining why I can't join your circle."


"That's what's so lame about you, isn't it?"


"Can you stop using abstract words? If you're a science student, point out my problems logically. If that's the case, I'll listen to you as much as you want. Yes, as many as you want."


Mashiba clicked her tongue at me. Sher was in a blatantly bad mood and was trying to intimidate me. This girl is seriously not logical, even though she's a science student. Maybe she just became a science major to be with her friend Hagiri and my wife because they went into science. It's great that she's able to keep up with her studies with that, but to put it bluntly, she's extremely stupid.


"You. Don't stick your tongue out at him."


My wife muttered in a slightly cold voice.


"But he's making fun of everyone! You're pissing me off! If you have a problem with him, just get back into med school! He's jealous of medical school anyway! You can't beat the medical school's plaza no matter how hard you try!"


I was jealous of the deviation status of medical school itself. But I wanted to go to art school, so I don't really care if I want to be a doctor or not.


"You. Don't speak so loud. I don't like that. I don't like that kind of thing."


"What? Riri, we don't want to..."


"I don't like it."


"Ugh...!"


I felt some pain at the sight of my wife who looked at Mashiba with a cold face, as if she was putting on a mask. Mashiba looked a little scared by my wife's appearance. I have seen this look from time to time. When she really don't like it, my wife doesn't have any expression on her face, she just looks cold. I hated seeing that with all my heart.


"Hey, Mashiba. I went too far too. So let's stop arguing."


"I understand. Riri is in trouble, so I'll forgive your outburst."


I'm annoyed at the unnecessary superciliousness, but I want to end it here. I don't want to be irritated any more.


"Let's go, Riri."


"Go ahead. I want to talk to her and Tokiwa for a while."


"But..."


"I'll be right with you. It won't take long."


My wife spat this out without making eye contact with Mashiba. There was a clear rejection. Mashiba nodded with a shocked look on her face and went to a distant table with the medical students.


"Sorry. Tokiwa. I'm sorry for Milan, too."


Awkwardly, my wife apologized to us. She is this kind of girl at heart. She has a kind heart. Or rather, she had. Until she betrayed me.


"It's okay. I don't mind."


"I don't mind either. It's not Riri-chan's fault, so don't worry about it."


My wife nodded weakly in agreement to our words.


"Thank you, both of you. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you, but... I know I've caused you trouble, but...I really wanted to play tennis with you two..."


With slightly moist eyes, my wife smiled. Then she quickly left our side and went back to Mashiba and the others.


"Hey, Tokiwa. Can I ask you one question?"


Milan opened her mouth somewhat gravely.


"What?"


"Hagiri and Igarashi. Which one is the master and which one is the follower?"


The question seemed to have multiple layers of meaning.


"I think that Igarashi is a rare bad girl. She distorts and destroys other people's lives with her charm. She is like a femme fatale personified. I can't help but feel that way about her. Sometimes I even think that she is controlling everything that Hagiri is doing. I've seen many powerful people all become enchanted by her just by smiling. Maybe that's why? There were times when Hagiri seemed to have too much of Igarashi. It's driving me crazy. I don't understand. It's really weird, those two...!"


Milan's face is distorted. It's an expression as if she's trying to endure something. Is he that afraid of my wife? Well, I'm the one whose life was ruined by her too. I wonder which one of us proposed the affair. Which one of us was the master and which one of us was the servant?


"Milan. If you have something on your mind, tell me. I've decided I'm on your side."


I pat Milan on the back. I think this is the best thing to do to someone who is scared. Milan's face softly relaxes.


"Thank you. I think I can talk to you. I noticed it just now. That girl who was by Igarashi's side. That's the girl who went into the love hotel with Hagiri!"

[TL: Hoho, double NTR?! Riri got NTR'd by Mashiba and Tokiwa got NTR'd by Chuso?! It's getting more interesting.]


"Huh? Hey, hey, wait. Are you serious...?!"


"Yeah. That Mashiba girl didn't show up at the student council, so I didn't recognize her until today. From the looks of her, she seems to be very close with Igarashi and Hagiri. Hagiri didn't include Mashiba in the student council so as not to make her feel self-conscious. She's quite a healthy woman, isn't she! Pretending to be best friends with the true love of the man who embraced you! Fearless! Every one of them! There's no one good enough to stand by that man!"


Milan is seriously disgusted with Hagiri and the others. Even I hate Mashiba even more after hearing what she just said. I don't think my wife is aware that Mashiba and Hagiri are having a physical relationship. Maybe that was the reason for the breakup between my wife and Hagiri in the previous world? There is just too much disconcerting around my wife. I was married, but I didn't know about my wife until the very end, and even now that I've made a new start, I still don't know.


"Milan. You were right to run away. You know that much. Thanks for coming to me."


I naturally said thank you to Milan. I don't understand a lot of things. But it's clear that Milan came to me for fun. She is not like Hagiri or my wife, who are in a fog like darkness, vague and formless. I felt very happy to have such a person by my side now.


"Kukuku, haha. You're the one thanking me? Ufufu."


"Yes, I will. Since Milan came to me, every day has become more enjoyable. I'm sure Ayashiro and Yuzuriha are having fun too. So thank you for coming."


Ayashiro, Yuzuriha, and Milan taught me that people can connect with each other properly. Instead of hating and hurting each other, we can be compassionate and laugh with each other. I am glad to be back in this time.


"I see! Haha! I see, I see! Right! Ufufu."


Milan smiled kindly. Then she quickly ate her meal and stood up from her seat with tray.


"I'm going to be a little too shy to show people my face. I'll leave you first."


"Oh, I'll see you later. See you Sunday."


"Yeah, I'll see you Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing you on Sunday."


She turned her back to me and walked away with light steps. I could see Milan's ears were a little red. I was really looking forward to seeing her again on Sunday.



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